Submarine-salvage apparatus.



0. w. SHEA.

SUBMAR INE SALVAGE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, 1916.

1,133,333. Patented June 20,1913;

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

mm-m I I l a I I THE COLUMBIA PLANDOIAPH 10., WASHXNUTON, D- C- D. W. SHEA.

SUBMARINE SALVAGE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, 1916.

1 1 88,333 Patented June 20, 1916. A

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

D. W. SHEA.

SUBMARINE SALVAGE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 5fl9l6- 1 ,1 88,333, Patented June 20, 1916.

- 3 SHEETSSHEET 3- E COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50-, WASHINGTON, D. C-

DANIEL WILLIAM SHEA, or TAMPA, FLoRID ASSIGNOR To THE :SUBMARINE SAL- VAGE COMPANY or AMERICA, on WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

SUBMARINE SALVAGE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jung 20, 1916,

Application filed February 5, 1916. Serial No. 76,394.

To all whom it may concern: A M

Be it known that I, DANIEL WILLIAM SHEA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tampa, in the county of Hillsboro and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submarine Salvage Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for indicating and raising sunken boats, and it is especially intended to Provide apparatus whereby sunkensubmarines may beindicated and raised.

The said invention is intended to provide improvements in certain features shown in the U. S. patent to John F. Shea,1entitled Means for indicating and raising sunken boats, granted hlay 23, 1911, No. 993205. According to the invention shown in that patent, and also in the following specification, the pilot line is coiled in a suitable receptacle carried by the boat, and to the ends of this line, respectively, a large and a small float are attached. The bight of the line passes over a pulley, and when the buoys are released they rise upward through the water, carrying upward the ends of the pilot line, and if the water is shallow both floats will float upon the surface of the water; while if the water is deep the upper float will rise to the surface, or asfar up to ward the surface as possible, and the smaller float will be held down by the greater lifting effect of the large float.

lVhen. the upper float is released from the pilot. line, and a lifting cable attached thereto, the cable will sink and the smaller float will rise to the surface, and the pilot line may be used to draw the end of the cable under the pulley, as described in the patent aforesaid. It has been found, however, in practice, that it is very diflicult to provide a float which will'have sufficient buoyancy to accomplish the purposes sought, and yet may be subjected to the pressure of the water at such depth as the sunken boat is likely to descend; and this invention relates especially to the construction of the floats,

whereby a comparatively light float may be a secured which will have suflicient buoyancy,

and at the same time will be able to stand .the pressure of the water at the depth to which the boat is sunk. 0f course, an'apparatus of this character is capable of and intended for use. only on; soundings, and

where the water is comparatively shoal, say not over a few hundred feet in depth.

My invention will be understood by referonce to the accompanying drawlngs, in

which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the chamber or chest provided in the upper-portion of the body of the boat, andcontaining the buoys, the pilot line, and thepulley; Fig. 2 shows a section along the broken line 22 of Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 shows a section along the line 33 of Fig. 2, and looking down; Fig. 4 shows a central vertical section through the pulley, said section being indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is aplan' view, partly in horizontal section, of the smaller buoy, the section being along the line 5-5 of Fig. 6; Fig. 6 is an elevation, partly in section, of the smaller buoy, the section being along the line-6 6 of Fig. 5'; Figs. 7 to 18 show details of construction of the 1 larger buoy. Fig. 7 shows'a sideelevation' of the buoy; Fig. 8 is a plan "view, partly in section, along the line 8 -8 of Fig. 9; Fig. 9 shows a section alongthe line 9-9 of Fig. 8, and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 10 shows a section along the line 10l0 of Fig. 8, and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 11 shows a detail'of one of the internal braces taken along the line 1111 of Fig. 10, and looking down, the parts being shown on a larger scale; Fig. 12 shows a section alongthe line 12-12 of Fig. 11, looking in the direction of the arrows, and parts being shown in elevation; Fig. 13 shows a section along the line 1313 of Fig. 11; looking in the direction of the arrows, and parts being shown in elevation; Fig. 14 is a cross section showing one of the butt welded joints; and Fig. 15 is a section show--- forced in the usual way as by means of the angle beams A, and is also provided with suitable special reinforces, such as the bands B and B, see Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

C represents a pedestal'secured to the hull of the boat, and provided with a bearing ring U'having a ball race for the balls E. Mounted above this ring is the ring D, resting on said balls E, which ring is secured to the housing D, in which the pulley F is mounted. This housing D has its ends flared, as at D to provide a fairway for the -pilot line J which passes over said pulley.

The pulley F is journaled on the pin Gr, secured in the yoke I-I, fitting against the sides (Z of the housing D, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4.

The head i of the king bolt I engages in this yoke H and, passing through the reinforcing bands B and B and the hull plating A, is secured in place in any suitable way as bythe nut I.

The ends of the pilot line J are attached to the eyes m of the larger buoy M, and n of the smaller buoy N, and the bight J. of this line is coiled up in the channel formed by the supporting blocks 0 for the smaller buoy and the walls 3? and p of the buoy chamber P, which is formed between the hull plating of the submarine and the deck plating Q. The special construction of the buoys will be hereinafter more fully described.

Closing the top of the buoy chamber, and flush with the deck Q, is the top plate M of the upper and larger buoy M. This forms a cover for the buoy chamber flush with the deck Q. This plate has slotted hinges at one end, as at m", engaging the heads 8 of the T-shaped bolts S, and at the other end this plate is provided with a slotted lug m, into which slot projects the head 6 of the T-bolt T, which head is also flush with the deck, as shown in Fig. 2. This bolt may be turned from the interior of the boat by the hand wheel T, so as to turn the head t into the unlocking position, and this may also be accomplished automatically by the pressure of the water when the boat sinks to a pre determined depth, as described in the patent to John F. Shea, No. 993205, aforesaid.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 I have shown the buoys diagrammatically for clearness in the drawings, but in Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown the preferred manner of constructing the smaller buoy, while in Figs. 7 to 13 I have shown the preferred manner of constructing the larger buoy, as will now be described.

The larger buoy consists of a main body portion 1, substantially rectangular in shape but with rounded corners 2, and with two longitudinally-projecting legs 3 and 4 which straddle the housing D for the pulley F when the apparatus is in the assembled po+ with the deck.-

sition shown in Fig. 2. The top of the main body portion and of these longitudinallyprojecting legs, and of the opening between said legs, is closed over by the plate M", which plate is ribbed or corrugated where it forms the wall of the air chamber of the buoy, as at 5, and may be left plane, as at 6, where it forms merely a part of the deck surface of the boat. By this arrangement the top plate of the larger buoy forms a part of the deck surface of the boat, and flush The sides and bottom wall of the boat are formed of a series of plates provided with ribs or corrugations, and these plates are also provided with suitable trusses, such as the trusses 7 in the main body portion of the buoy M, the trusses 8 and 9 in the ends thereof, and the trusses 10 and 11 in the legs thereof. In the main body portion, the buoy is also provided with bracing in the form of hollow tubes 12, made preferably of strong and light material, such as vanadian steel. These tubes extend between the top and bottom walls of the body portion of the buoy and stiffen same against compressive strains. The ends of these tubes engage in sockets 13, formed of two separate blocks connected by the bolts 14 to the web 15 of the truss 7, as shown in Figs. 10 to 13. These vertical bracing tubes are shown in Figs. 8 and 10, but are omitted from Fig. 9 for the sake of clearness in the drawings.

Reverting now to the construction of the smaller buoy, shown in Figs. 5 and 6, this is preferably substantially rectangular in cross section but with rounded corners as shown. In constructing this buoy I pro- .vide tlop and bottom plates 20 and 21,

rounded as shown, and each provided with corrugations 22, which top and bottom plates are braced by the vertical bracing tubes 23 similar to those already described in connection with thelarger buoy. Connected to the ends of these top and bottom plates are the four corner plates 24, curved as shown, and inclosing the inner edges of these top and bottom plates and corner plates is the b'and'25, corrugated as at 26. This band is also braced by the longitudinal tubes 27 and transverse tubes 28, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. All of the joints in both of the buoys are electrowelded to form an air and water tight joint as shown in Figs. 14 and 15.

The operation of the device is as follows :Suppose the boat to be sunk, and the locking bolt T to be released either by hand or automatically as described, the larger buoy M will lift, swinging about the hinges m until these are released and the buoy is free to move upward through the water due to its buoyancy. As soon as the buoy M is out of the way, the smaller buoy N also floats upward, and the pilot line pays out as the buoys rise. The pulley F, being mounted on a universal joint, turns to always give a fair lead to the pilot line, it being free to turn in any direction horizontally as soon as the larger buoy has floated clear of the boat. If the water is shallow, both buoys will rise to the surface, but if the water is deep the larger buoy will rise to, or'approach, the surface, dragging down the smaller buoy and holding it in the submerged position. As soon as the pilot line is detached from the largerbuoy, and fastened to a hoisting cable, and the latter is let go, this will release the smaller buoy, which will rise to the surface bringing with it the pilot line, and the hoisting cable may be rove thereby beneath the pulley sheave, and the boat may be lifted by hauling up on one end of this hoisting cable, making fast the other end to the relief vessel. Where the boat to be lifted is heavy, of course, several sets of salvage apparatus as herein described would be employed. Thus, for a submarine of the ordinary size two or more such apparatus may be used, located at the proper parts of the hull of the boat.

It will be seen that the hereindescribed apparatus is countersunk between the upper deck of the boat and the hull proper, but does not offer any obstruction either to the boats progress through the water, or to the free movement of the crew along the deck; and by having the top plate of the main buoy flush with and forming a part of. the upper deck of the boat, the apparatus forms a part of the superstructure of the boat, is not in the way, and yet is completely detachable therefrom when emergency requires.

' By having the buoy chamber P with sloping sides, as shown in Fig. 3, the buoy is not apt to stick therein, and the pilot line is provided with a fair lead from every side of the chamber. By having the larger buoy with legs as shown, I not only secure the added buoyancy of these legs, which are very rigid, being of small and arch-shaped cross section; but I also make use of the space on each side of the housing D containing the pulley F, and on modern submarines any saving of space is an important factor.

By having the buoys corrugated and braced, as shown, they are able to stand the heavy pressure such as exists at a depth of several hundred feet below the sea level, or at the maximum depth from which it would be practicable to lift such boats and save the crew.

It will be obvious that various modifications might be made in the herein described apparatus, and in the construction, combination and arrarigemetof parts which could beused without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pating legs straddling said pulley, and having its top formed of a plate forming a cover for said chamber, substantial-1y as described.

2. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a chamber provided on the upper side of theboat, said chamber being located between the upper deck and the top of the hull of said boat, and having its top flush with theupper deck, a pulley mounted in said chamber, a pilot line rove over said pulley and also mounted in said chamber, and a pair of buoys connected, respectively, to the ends of said pilot line, said buoys being of unequal buoyancy, and the upper buoy being provided with longitudinallyprojecting legs straddling said pulley, and having its top, formed of a plate forming a cover for said chamber, substantially as described. v V I 3.,Apparatus of the character described, comprisinga chamber provided on the upper side of the boat, a pulley mounted in said chamber, a pilot line rove over said pulley and also mounted in said chamber, and

a pair, of buoys connected, vrespectively, to the ends of said pilot line, said buoys being of unequal buoyancy, and the upper buoy being provided with longitudinally-projecting legs straddling said pulley, and having its top formed of a plate forming acover for said chamber, the saidplate being provided with detachable hinges connecting the same at one end to said boat, and with a locking bar detachably connecting the other end of said plate to said boat, substantially as described. V

Apparatus of the character described, comprising a chamber provided on the upper side of the boat, said chamber being located between the upper deck and the top of the hull of said boat, and having its top flush with the upper deck, a pulley mounted in said chamber, a pilot line rove over said pulley and also mounted in said chamber, and a pair of buoys connected, respectively, to the ends of said pilot line, said buoys being of unequal buoyancy, and the upper buoy being provided with longitudinallyprojecting legs straddling said pulley, and havingits top formedof a plate forming a cover for said chamber, the said plate being provided with detachable hinges connecting the same at one end to said boat, and with a locking bar detachably connecting the other end of said plate to said boat, substantially as described.

5. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a chamber provided on the upper side of the boat, a pulley-mounted in said chamber, a pilot line rove over said pulley and also mounted in said chamber, and a pair of hollow corrugated sheet metal buoys connected, respectively, to the ends of said pilot line, said buoys being of unequal buoyancy, and the upper buoy having its top formed of a plate forming a cover for said chamber, substantially as described.

6. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a chamber provided on the upper side of the boat, a pulley mounted in said chamber, a pilot line rove over said pulley and also mounted in said chamber, and a pair of hollow corrugated sheet metal buoys connected, respectively, to the ends of said pilot line, said buoys being of unequal buoyancy, and the upper buoy being provided with longitudinally-projecting legs straddling said pulley, and having its top formed of a plate forming a cover for said chamber, substantially as described.

7; Apparatus of the character described, comprising a chamber provided on the upside of the boat, said chamber being located between the upper deck and the top of the hull of said boat, and having its top flush with the upper deck, a pulley mounted in said chamber, a pilot line rove over said pulley'and also mounted in said chamber, and a pair of hollow corrugated sheet'metal buoys connected, respectively, to the ends of said pilot line, said buoys being of unequal. buoyancy, and the upper buoy having its top formed of a plate forming a cover for said chamber, substantially as described.

comprising a chamber provided on the upper side of the boat, said chamber being'located between the upper deck and the top of the hull of said boat, and having its top flush with the upper deck, a pulley mounted in said chamber, a pilot line rove over said pulley and also mounted in said chamber,

and a pair of hollow corrugated sheet metal buoys connected, respectively, to the ends of said pilot line, said buoys being of unequal buoyancy, and the upper buoy being pro- 8. Apparatus of the character described,

and also mounted in said chamber, and a pair of hollow corrugated sheet metal buoys connected, respectively, to the ends of said pilot line, said buoys being of unequal buoyancy, and the upper buoy having its top formed of a plate forming a cover for said chamber, the said plate being provided with detachable hinges connecting the same at one end to said boat, and with a locking bar detachably connecting the other end of said plate to said boat, substantially as described.

10. Apparatus of the character described,

comprising a chamber provided on the upper side of the boat, a pulley mounted in said chamber, a pilot line rove over said pulley and also mounted in said chamber, and a pair of hollow corrugated sheet metal buoys connected, respectively, to the ends of said pilot line, said buoys being of unequal buoyancy, and the upper buoy being provided with longitudinally-projecting legs straddling said pulley, and having its top formed of a plate forming a cover for said chamber, the said plate being provided with detachable hinges connecting the same at one end to said boat, and with a locking bar detachably connecting the other end of said plate to said boat, substantially as described.

11. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a chamber provided on the upper side of the boat, said chamber being located between the upper deck and the top of the hull of said boat, and having its top flush with the upper deck, a pulley mounted in said chamber, a pilot line rove over said pulley and also mounted in said chamber, and a pair of hollow corrugated sheet metal buoys connected, respectively, to the ends of said pilot line, said buoys being of unequal buoyancy, and the upper buoy having its top formed of a plate forming a cover for said chamber, the said plate being provided with detachable hinges connecting the same at one end to said boat, and with a locking bar detachably connecting the other end of said plate to said boat, substantially as described.

12. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a chamber provided on the upper side of the boat, said chamber being located between the upper deck and the top of the hull of said boat, and having its top flush with the upper deck, a V pulley mounted in said chamber, a pilot line rove over said pulley and also mounted in said chamber, and a pair of hollow corrugated sheet metal buoys, connected, respectively, to the ends of said pilot line, said buoys being of unequal buoyancy, and the upper buoy being provided with longitudinally-projecting legs straddling said pulley, and having its top formed of a plate forming a cover for said chamber, the said plate being provided with detachable hinges onnecting the same atone end to said boat, and with. a locking bar detachably connecting the other end of said plate'to said boat, substantially. as described.

13. A buoy for use in apparatus of the character described, comprising a corrugated sheet metal shell with internal bracing therefor.

14:; A buoy foruse in apparatus of the character described, comprising a shell made of sheet metal having a series of corrugations therein, and provided with internal.

bracing, the said bracing consisting of a series of stiffening tubes extending between opposite sides of the shell.

15. A buoy for use in apparatus of the character described, comprising a shell made of sheet metal having a series of corruga-. tions therein, and provided with internal bracing, the said bracing including a series of trusses secured on the interior of said shell.

16. A buoy for use in apparatus of the character described, comprising a shell made of sheet metal having a series of corrugations therein, and provided with internal bracing, the said bracing including a series of trusses extending around the interior of said shell, and a series of stiffening tubes extending between opposite sides of said shell.

17. A buoy for use in apparatus of the character described, comprising a corrugated sheet metal shell with internal bracing therefor, the various joints in said shell being welded.

18. A buoy for use in apparatus of the character described, comprising a shell made of sheet metal having a series of corrugations therein, and provided with internal bracing, the said bracing consisting of a series of stiffening tubes extending between opposite sides of said shell, the various joints in said shell being welded.

19. A buoy for use inapparatus of the character described, comprising a shell made of sheet metal having a series of corrugations therein, and provided with internal bracing, the said bracing including a series of trusses secured on the interior of said shell, the various joints in said shell being welded.

20. A buoy for use in apparatus of the character described, comprising a shell made of sheet metal having a series of corrugations therein, and provided with internal bracing, the said bracing including a series of trusses extending around the interior of said shell, and a series of stifiening tubes extending between opposite sides of said shell, the various joints in said shell being Welded.

21. A sheet metal buoy for use in apparatus of the character described, comprising a substantially bowl-shaped body portion and two, laterally-extending legs-con-- nected thereto, substantially U-shaped in top of said body portion and said legs, the

said body portion, and the-said legs being provided with internal bracing.

23. A sheet metal buoy for use in apparatus of the character described, comprising a substantially bowl-shaped body portion and two laterally-extending legs connected thereto, substantially U-shaped in cross-section, and a continuous plate forming the top of said body portion and said legs, the said body portion and the said legs being provided with internal trusses.

24:. A sheet metal buoy for use in apparatus of the character described, comprising a substantially bowl-shaped body portion and two laterally-extending legs connected thereto, substantially U-shaped in cross-section, and a continuous plate forming the top of said body portion and said legs, and said body portion being braced by a series of tubes connecting the opposite sides of the shell of the buoy.

25. A sheet metal buoy for use in apparatus of the character described, comprising a substantially bowl-shaped body portion and two laterally-extending legs connected thereto, substantially U-shaped in cross-section, and a continuous plate forming the top of said body portion and said legs, the said plate, and said body portion, and said legs being corrugated, and means carried by the said plate for detachably connecting said buoy to the hull of the boat.

26. A sheet metal buoy for use in apparatus of the character described, comprising a substantially bowl-shaped body portion and two laterally-extending legs connected thereto, substantially U-shaped in cross-section, and a continuous plate forming the top of said body portion and said legs, the said body portion, and the said legs being provided with internal bracing, and means carried by the said plate for detachably connecting said buoy to the hull of the boat.

27 A sheet metal buoy for use in apparatus 0]": the character described, comprising a substantially bowl-shaped body portionand two laterally-extending legs connected thereto, substantiallyU-shaped in cross-section, and a continuous plate forming the top of said body portion and said legs, the said body portion and the said legs being provided With internal trusses, and means carried by the said plate for detachably connecting said buoy to the hull of the boat.

28. A sheet metal buoy for use in apparatus of the character described, comprising a substantially bowl-shaped body portion and two laterally-extending legs connected thereto, substantially U-shaped in cross-section, and a continuous plate forming the top of said body portion and said legs, and said body portion being braced by a series of tubes connecting the opposite sides of the shell of the buoy, and means carried by the said plate for detachably connecting said buoy to the hull of theboat.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

DANIEL WILLIAM SHEA.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatenfw, Washington, D. G. 

